The present invention relates generally to a system, apparatus, and/or method for protecting against exposure to harmful environments. In this regard, the present invention relates generally to exposure protection devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a system, apparatus, and/or method for detecting a breach of exposure protection devices such as respiratory protection equipment, gloves, shoes, hoods, boots and the like (hereinafter referred to collectively as “exposure protection equipment”).
The present invention is directed to exposure protection equipment that guard or isolate an internal protected environment from an external environment that may contain harmful fluids, materials, particulates, and other substances (“harmful environment”). Applicants recognizer that, as with most safety equipments, exposure protection equipment are not necessarily failsafe and can, under certain circumstance, fail to provide absolute protection from the target harmful environment. A breach of the protected internal environment may be initiated in a number of ways, resulting in possible exposure to the harmful environment. A breach may result from repeated or extensive exposure of the protective clothing to the target substance and/or breakthrough of the target substance through the materials of the exposure protection equipment. The breach may result from a manufacturing defect and/or damage during use causing or manifesting in a seal failure or crack, tear, punch or other deformation of the materials of the exposure protection equipment. The exposure, or more specifically penetration of the fluids into the protected environment, may be slow or fast
There are prior devices and methods for detecting such a breach of exposure protection equipment. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,976,881 and 5,376,554 both teach a means or method of detecting and/or indicating a breakthrough of a protective gloves (i.e., a breach of the protective glove). The described methods require, however, removal or unzipping of the protective equipment to observe or monitor the detecting means or indicator and confirm whether a breach has occurred. In effect, the described methods require the user to possibly expose the intended protected internal environment in order to use the detecting means or indicator. The user is potentially exposed to an external harmful environment without necessarily knowing that he or she has been exposed. Unless the user frequently leaves the hazardous environment to remove the protective equipment and check the results, the user will not know the status of the detecting means or indicator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,544 describes another detecting or indicating device for use with respirators. The described device is used specifically to monitor and indicate the presence of pollutants in the respirator. As with the previously described detecting or indicating mean, the construction of this device does not allow the user to use the device and readily confirm the presence of the pollutants. To do so, the user has to dismantle the device or employ an electronic reader in conjunction with the detecting sensor.